Sushant Divgikar is an Indian transgender model, actor, singer, industrial psychologist and beauty pageant director. She also worked as a drag queen under the name ‘Rani KoHENur’ or ‘Rani Ko-He-Nur.’
Wiki/Biography
Sushant Divgikar was born on Tuesday, July 3, 1990 (age 32 years; in 2022) in Bandra West, Mumbai. His zodiac sign is Cancer.
Childhood photos of Sushant Divgikar with his father
He attended school at Arya Vidya Mandir, Mumbai. He later studied advertising/PR at Usha Pravin Gandhi College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai. Sushant holds a Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Mithibai College of Arts, Chauhan Institute of Science & Amruthben Jivanlal College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai. Later, he pursued an advertising course at Harkisan Mehta Institute, Mumbai.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 10″
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Gender & Sexual Orientation
In his teenage years, he identified as gay, but later, he realized that he was gender fluid (one whose gender identity is not fixed). The preferred pronouns are he, her, and they. In an interview, while talking about her gender identity, she said,
I had to tell you all about my gender identity because it gives me a lot of anxiety and, often times, I can’t overcome it. I realized I had better put it there. Just to clarify, I’ve come to realize that I can’t stick to just one gender. I am a synergy of both! I love my man like I love my woman. I am Shiv as well as Shakti and the synergy of both energies. This is different from my orientation. I will always be attracted to men. It’s just that my gender identity is not only male! I am a non-binary person! I feel very relieved.”
Family
Sushant Divgikar was born in a Goan Konkani family.
Parents & Siblings
His father, Pradeep Krishnarao Divgikar, is Assistant Commissioner, Indian Customs and Central Excise and former President of the Greater Mumbai Amateur Aquatics Association (GMAAA). His mother, Bharati Rao Divgikar, is a retired manager of a Japanese bank and runs an NGO. His brother, Karan Divgikar, works at Qatar Airways.
Sushant Divgikar with his parents
Sushant Divgikar with his brother
Relationships/Affairs
In an interview, Sushant shared that he has three boyfriends. One of her boyfriends is a businessman from South Africa. They meet for the first time in a gay beauty pageant. Reportedly, they were offered to participate in the TV celebrity dance show ‘Nach Baliye.’ As of 2021, he is still single.
Career
Model
As a teenager, Sushant started his career as a model in various print advertisements and photo shoots. She has walked the ramp for famous Indian fashion designers.
Sushant Divgikar in a fashion show
In 2014, he participated in the Mr Gay India competition and won the title.
Sushant Divgikar Mr Gay India 2014
He later represented India at the Mr Gay World competition and was among the top 10 finalists. In the competition, he won three sub-awards, Mr Gay World Congeniality, Mr People’s Choice and Mr Gay World Art.
Sushant Divgikar in Mr Gay World
Sushant has featured in various TV commercials such as Maruti Suzuki and Idea Mobiles.
Television
In 2012, he hosted the TV show ‘Atyachaar Ka Punchnama’ which aired on UTV Bindass. He has hosted several other TV shows like Style Police and Bindaas Video Wars. He appeared as a guest in the 2013 TV show ‘Big Switch 3.’
Sushant Divgikar in Big Switch 3
He later participated as a contestant in various TV shows such as ‘Welcome– Baazi Mehmaan Nawazi Ki’ (2013), ‘Bigg Boss 8’ (2014), and ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ (2018).
Sushant Divgikar in Bigg Boss 8 house
Singer
Sushant does not have any formal training in singing. During his teenage years, he used to practice Asha Bhosle’s song ‘Piya Tu Ab Toh Aaja’ from the Hindi film ‘Caravan’ (1971). In 2020, he released his independent single ‘Diamond.’
Diamond song poster
In 2021, he released his single “Damn That Man.” He lent his voice for the title track of the Kannada film ‘3 Devi’ (2021). Sushant has also uploaded several Hindi cover songs on his self-titled YouTube channel.
Drag Queen
In 2015, he performed as a drag artist for the first time in the theater play ‘Merchant of Venice’ directed by Vikram Kapadia. He later hosted several drag shows and events in national and international film festivals. In one of his drag shows, he was spotted by Indian entrepreneur Ishaan Sethi who was talking about Sushant with Lalit Hospitality Group executive director Keshav Suri. In 2017, Suri invited Sushant to perform at her nightclub KittySu in New Delhi along with drag queen Violet Chachki. Sushant’s performance was loved by the audience, and after that Sushant decided to adopt the avatar of drag queen Rani Ko-HE-Nur.
Sushant Divgikar aka Rani Kohenur
In an interview, when asked how she developed her interest in becoming a drag queen, she said since childhood, she was interested in dressing up as a girl. He said,
As a child, I always liked to dress up. I am always fascinated by great makeup, accessories and clothes. I would enter fancy dress competitions and always dress up like a mermaid or Madhuri Dixit; once I even dressed like Tina Turner. I’ve always loved playing female characters because they have so much depth and character. But back then, I never knew what drag was. As I got older, I started reading about it and watching other drag artists from around the world and knew this is what I wanted to do!”
He further said,
I created this avatar because I want people to understand that drag is a performance art, and it’s not just cross-dressing. I am gender fluid, hence the name, because Rani is a queen but Ko-He-nur has her in it. In drag, a man — gay, straight, transgender or bisexual — can appear as a woman which includes wearing mostly hyper-feminine clothing, excessive makeup and wigs. Drag can also be performed by women — lesbian, straight, trans or bisexual — who dress and act as male characters. Gender fluid people also do drag — our first solo drag king was Durga Gawde, who goes by the stage name Shakti.”
Sushant Divgikar as a drag queen
Sushant is the first Indian drag queen to perform with global media company Condé Nast. She has also appeared as ‘Rani KoHENur’ or ‘Rani Ko-He-Nur’ on various Indian TV shows, stage shows and live events. In 2021, she participated in the drag queen singing of the television series ‘Queen of the Universe.’ In the show, she sang songs like “Piya Tu Ab To Aja”, “Laila Main Laila” and “My Heart Will Go On.”
LGBTQ activists
Sushant has been working as an LGBTQ activist for a very long time. He has actively participated in various LGBTQ marches and seminars.
Sushant Divgikar in the LGBTQ march
In his various interviews, he has spoken about providing rights to the LGBTQ community. In one of his interviews, Sushant said,
I consider Hijra icons Gauri Sawant, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi and many others, as their spiritual teachers. I don’t need to be from their community to feel a kinship with them. That’s the beauty of it all, being part of this community. When I talk about minorities, I have to talk about Hijras, Dalits, as well as sexuality, gender, and even religion, because our struggles intersect. Why do we need to ask for equal rights in a democracy?”
Other Work
In 2017, she appeared in the Hindi web series ‘101 India.’ In 2022, he started the YouTube series ‘Main Bhi Rani with Sushant Divgikar’ where he spoke to various transgender people.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- 2018: GQ’s 50 Most Influential Young Indians
Sushant Divgikar- GQ 50 Most Influential Indian Teens 2019
- 2019: Community Leadership Award by the HIV/AIDS Alliance of India for breakthrough excellence and being a national and international voice for LGBTQIA+
- 2019: Real Hero Award by Rotaract 3141 for breaking barriers and challenging gender norms
- 2020: Change Maker Award by Mac India
- 2020: Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 list
- 2021: Top 25 Creators on Instagram in India by Instagram for Business
- 2022: Blogger Award for LGBTQIA+Voice of The Year- Popular Choice by Cosmo India
Sushant Divgikar holding his award
Favourite
- Drag Queen: Trixie Mattel
- Song: Lag Jaa Gale from Woh Kaun Thi? (1964)
Facts/Trivia
- His family and friends call him Sushi.
- When he was in school, he used to participate in swimming competitions, and he was a sports captain. He participated in various state and national level swimming competitions.
- He has tattoo ink on his left chest.
Sushant Divgikar Tattoo
- He is an avid dog lover and has a pet dog.
Sushant Divgikar with his pet dog
- Sushant is a spiritual person and has deep faith in Lord Ganesha.
Sushant Divgikar with an idol of Lord Ganesha
- She has been featured on the cover of various magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Rolling Stone.
Sushant Divgikar featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine
- He is often seen drinking alcohol at parties and events.
Sushant Divgikar holding a glass of wine
- He received congratulations at various events. He was once honored by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Sushant Divgikar is being celebrated at an event
- Sushant is active on various social media platforms. He has a self-titled YouTube channel.
- He suffered from depression due to being bullied and harassed because of his sexual orientation. In an interview, he talked about it. He said,
My family is my biggest strength and they are very supportive of anything I do. I am lucky to come from a broad-minded and progressive family. They do not discriminate on the basis of gender, religion, caste or creed. There are many people who say one thing and do the opposite. My parents have taught us to treat everyone with love and respect regardless of who they are and where they come from. I think every family should be like mine. They supported me when I was having a hard time. Also, Indian model Diandra is a great support.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
